The Lighthorsemen (1987) - Australian 4th Light Horse Charge

Dedicated to the men of the Australian 4th Light Horse Brigade on the 91st anniversary of the (so-called) last successful cavalry charge in history on 31st October 1917 at the Battle of Beersheba during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the Great War.

Film reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lighthorsemen_(film)

To learn more, please visit:

http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_10555.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Beersheba
http://www.lighthorse.org.au/histbatt/beersheba.htm
http://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/10/dayintech_1031
http://users.netwit.net.au/~ianmac/bersheba.html
http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-a-l-horse/4th_lh_bde.htm

Category:

Education

Tags:

• ANZAC
• Australia
• Light
• Horse
• Cavalry
• Brigade
• Ottoman
• British
• Empire
• Great
• War
• World
• One
• Beersheba
• Battle
• Palestine
• Sinai
• social
• science
• humanities

[DoctorXProducer]

I am sorry to "sdrigromMaciek", I had accidentally clicked 'remove' instead of 'reply'.

His message was:

'Excuse me but the last succesful cavalry charge was in 1920 at Komarowo in Poland when Polish Cavalry Corpse destroyed the Red Horse Army leaded by Budyonnyi. '

[DoctorXProducer]

My reply:

The same could be said of the Italian Savoia cavalry against Soviet artillery on 23 August, 1942 and many other cavalry charges of the 20th century. The Battle of Komarow was the largest and last cavalry battle in history, but the difference is the use of weapons (traditional cavalry with sabres vs mounted infantry in most cases since 1813) and whether you consider the simultaneous destruction of and inability to regroup by the Polish Cavalry as 'successful'.

[fp470]

@DoctorXProducer Cavalry is not defined by wheather it uses traditional weapons or not but the role it plays. In late 1800s cavalry was expected to attack dismounted and mounted with rifle and white weapons equally. Shock action can be achieved without needing the lance or sabre. Also do not confuse mounted infantry (infantry who move fast) with mounted rifles (cavalry). As shown above the ALH use both rifle and bayonet (later get swords) to affect a shock action.

[DoctorXProducer]

@fp470 Thanks for the clarification.

[Fritztoons]

The best film of a horseback charge i´ve ever seen! I´ve seen it many times. And...i...have.. to confess i´m German.

Baa, no worries!

[HMservant]

you know, i've never really liked the australians, probably something to do with NZ-AU rivalry and perhaps the Underarm Incident of 1981, but you definitely have to give them credit for that brave charge against that Turkish line!

[aussiecheers]

hang on, i thought it was the AUSTRALIAN light horseman who charged, the brits didnt have enough guts to do the job.....

[aussiecheers]

they were aussies with their native bush brumbies....ofcourse they were going to charge... classic comment

[aussiecheers]

yeah well regardless whether you like or dislike aussies, this movie describes the raw guts that aussies have fighting for their country...our native horses 'whalers' fought with our soligers and unlike many countries who bought horses over with them, our light horse brigade chose to distroy our horses so they wouldnt end up in the wrong hands....unlike the poms...if it wasnt for the aussie guys and their fello whalers beersheba would never have been taken....

[zilcheynon]

fantastic movie and the charge......"they won't charge"

[dunrudin]

@lebarosky

Most depressing!

[Fritztoons]

@JuanCarandell

Right, but German liason officers and they, the turks, where our allies. So i should stand to it. But luckiely we are talking about history anyway. And as a keen horseman i admire good cavallery man of every country and nation.

[JuanCarandell]

@Fritztoons But the bads guy in the movie are turkeys! xD

[quinnthin12345]

My great grandfather was in the irish brigade cavalry in world war 1 and he got 3 or4 horses shot right under him

[chewie211171]

I can't imagine the terror the original charge must have on the Turks. What a great recreation this scene is.

[chewie211171]

Thanks for posting this. This movie was one of the greatest Aussie films made in the 80s; very well done.